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Biomedical subjects

D Baran

Publications and source records attributed to D Baran.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed1987

A comparison of inhaled budesonide and beclomethasone dipropionate in childhood asthma.

The objective of this study was to compare the clinical effects of beclomethasone dipropionate (BDP) and budesonide in asthmatic children using two common ways of administration. Twenty-one children, aged 4-14 years, who regularly used inhaled corticosteroids for their control of asthma were included in the study. The drugs were studied by using a double-blind randomized cross-over design trial with a single-blind placebo period at the end. Each period lasted 3 weeks. The dosage was 100 micrograms b.i.d. for both drugs. Budesonide was administered via a spacer inhaler (Inhalet), and beclomethasone dipropionate via a standard actuator. Compared with placebo, both drugs significantly improved PEFR values for morning (20% for budesonide and 14% for BDP) and evening (14% for budesonide and 9% for BDP). Both morning and/or evening peak flows were significantly higher during the budesonide treatment as compared with the BDP treatment. In comparison with the placebo period, FEV1.0 was significantly improved with budesonide but not with BDP. Plasma cortisol, WBC counts, differential and eosinophilia counts in blood were determined at the beginning and the end of each period. All of the values except for the eosinophil counts were within normal ranges. Candida was looked for but not found in any case. No other adverse effects were registered. For most of the children, a deterioration of the state of their asthma and increased need for concomitant therapy during the placebo period confirmed their steroid dependence. The number of administrations with concomitant anti-asthmatic therapy increased during placebo by 61% as compared with the budesonide therapy, and by 40% compared with the BDP therapy.

Administration, Inhalation↗
PubMed1987

Spine and femur density using dual-photon absorptiometry in US white women.

Bone mineral density (BMD) of the spine (n = 892) and femur (n = 634) was measured using dual-photon absorptiometry in normal white women from seven diverse locations. The same model commercial scanner with a 153Gd source was used in all locations (SD = 1.3% among locations). There was not an age-associated decrease of spinal BMD during young adulthood (20-40 years); the correlation of age and femoral BMD in this period was low but significant (r = -0.21). There was a narrow range of intra-population variation at all ages (10-12%). The cross-sectional data showed an average diminution of about 20% in the spine and 25% in the femur between 40 and 70 years of age, followed by a continued but slower, decrease of density in older women. Adjustment of values for height and weight was called for mainly at extremes of body size.

Aging↗
PubMed1986

Effect of cyclosporine A on mercury-induced autoimmune glomerulonephritis in the Brown Norway rat.

To test the effect of cyclosporine A (CsA) in mercuric chloride (HgCl2)-induced nephritis in the Brown-Norway (BN) rat, we treated groups of intoxicated rats with varying doses of CsA for a period of 2 months. All manifestations of HgCl2-induced disease were prevented in rats treated concurrently with CsA at either 7 or 10 mg/kg/day. Partial suppression was evident at lower daily doses, but not with bi-weekly CsA administration. The initial phase of HgCl2-induced nephritis could be completely suppressed with a short, 15 day course of CsA. The later phase of the disease could be tempered by CsA administration starting on day 10 after the first HgCl2 injection. The optimal regimen of 7 mg/kg/day for 60 days was not associated with any evidence of CsA toxicity. CsA appears to interfere with the polyclonal activation of B cells observed in HgCl2-induced autoimmune disease, accounting for its striking preventive and curative effect in this model.

Animals↗
PubMed1985

Lung function in children and adolescents with antecedents of acute rheumatic fever.

Static lung volumes, CO-lung transfer, airway resistance, maximal expiratory flows and lung elastic properties were studied in 29 children and adolescents 1-10 years after recovery from acute rheumatic fever. There were essentially no changes in lung function even in the subjects with a residual valvular disease. The only abnormality was a tendency for the elastic lung recoil at TLC to be low, which is interpreted as probably reflecting a decrease in inspiratory muscle force.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1985

Massive vitamin A intoxication with ascites and pleural effusion.

Vitamin A intoxication was diagnosed in a 14-year-old girl who presented with massive exudative ascites and right pleural effusion, impaired liver enzymes, and hypertriglyceridemia. Electron microscopy of liver biopsy material demonstrated numerous perisinusoidal lipid-filled Ito cells. The patient had taken 100-200,000 I.U. vitamin A per day for 15 months. Serum vitamin A level remained elevated for 4 months after vitamin discontinuation. The unusual severity of portal hypertension was documented by a high wedged hepatic vein pressure level. The ascites occurred 2 months after vitamin A had been discontinued, probably owing to particularly slow mobilization of large hepatic stores of vitamin A. Portal hypertension disappeared after a 6-month low vitamin A diet, but the liver biopsy failed to demonstrate any decrease in number or size of Ito cells, suggesting that lipid venous obstruction is unlikely to be the only mechanism responsible for portal hypertension in vitamin A-induced liver disease.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1985

Analysis of proteins synthesized by fibroblasts from patients with cystic fibrosis by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis and double label autoradiography.

Mucoviscidosis, the most frequently lethal genetic syndrome of Caucasian population, is a recessive disease with multiple tissue involvement. Although the major pathological changes are observed in lungs and pancreas, abnormalities have also been detected in several other exocrine glands. For many reasons, such as the ready availability of tissue material, the absence of secondary changes and the potential for prenatal diagnosis, cultured skin fibroblasts could be the tissue of choice to search for the primary defect. Several abnormalities have been reported in CF fibroblasts, suggesting that the genetic abnormality is expressed in these cells. To search for potentially mutant protein(s) we have compared the protein composition of normal and CF fibroblasts by two dimensional gel electrophoresis and double-labeling autoradiography using 35S and 75Se methionine as tracer. The results demonstrate the power of the method; however, we have not found one protein spot consistently missing in CF cells. Possible reasons for the absence of a single common identifiable defect are discussed.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1985

[The " Accès " intervention program.].

In this article, the author describes the help program provided for the employees at the Royal Bank. Named "Access", this program is available to all employees of the bank, their immediate family and also retired personnel. In the first part of the article the author gives a detailed description of the program. In the second part, using a question and answer format, he reviews the main questions the employee asks himself before joining the program. Finally, the author quotes statistics showing that the program "Access" answers a real need.

English Abstract↗
PubMed1985

Renal function following infusion of radiologic contrast material. A prospective controlled study.

In a prospective, controlled study undertaken to assess renal function following infusion of radiologic contrast material, serum creatinine level was determined before scan and for three days after scan in 193 patients undergoing computed tomographic (CT) brain scan with contrast enhancement (contrast medium volume, 60 to 350 mL) and in 233 controls undergoing CT scan without infusion. Renal failure developed in four patients who had infusion of contrast material and in three patients who had no infusion (greater than or equal to 50% increase in serum creatinine level and above normal). In the high-risk group (serum creatinine level greater than or equal to 1.5 mg/dL or diabetes mellitus), renal failure developed in none of the 19 patients infused and in two of 46 in the noninfused group. It was concluded that previous uncontrolled studies may have overestimated the risk of renal failure induced by contrast material.

Acute Kidney Injury↗
PubMed1984

Hypophyseal metastatic renal cell carcinoma and pituitary adenoma. Case report and review of the literature.

A patient with a remote history of nephrectomy for renal cell carcinoma presented with a visual field defect. At surgery, a metastasis from the hypernephroma and an adenoma were found coexisting in the anterior pituitary gland. Although hypernephromas are known to act as "recipient" tumors in cases in which two primary neoplasms coexist, it is unusual for a renal cell carcinoma to metastasize into another tumor.

Adenocarcinoma↗
PubMed1984

The outcome of hyponatremia in a general hospital population.

To determine the prognosis of hyponatremia in an unselected population, we collected clinical and laboratory data and determined the outcome of hospitalization for all hyponatremic patients in a general hospital over a three month period. Of the 78 patients studied, 36 (46%) had CNS symptoms while 42 (54%) were asymptomatic. Using a diagnostic algorithm we classified the patients with CNS symptoms into two groups: those with CNS symptoms due to hyponatremia (11 patients) and those with CNS symptoms caused by other factors (25 patients). Twenty-one patients (27%) died during the study. The highest mortality (64%) was in patients with CNS symptoms related to factors other than hyponatremia. Patients with CNS symptoms due to hyponatremia had a mortality rate (9%) similar to that of patients without CNS symptoms (10%). These findings suggest that the relationship between hyponatremia and outcome is probably not causal. Rather, hyponatremia appears to be a marker for severe underlying disease that carries a poor prognosis.

Adult↗
PubMed1983

Abnormal fatty acid pattern of the plasma cholesterol ester fraction in cystic fibrosis patients with and without pancreatic insufficiency.

In our previous work it was found that in cystic fibrosis patients with and without pancreatic insufficiency, the fatty acid pattern of the plasma long chain, non-esterified fatty acid fraction is strikingly abnormal in comparison with the corresponding pattern of healthy subjects. However, other investigators have shown abnormal fatty acid patterns only in patients with pancreatic insufficiency. Therefore, we studied the plasma cholesterol ester fraction in cystic fibrosis patients of both types by gas liquid chromatography. It was found that the absolute total concentration of the plasma cholesterol esters in cystic fibrosis patients with and also without pancreatic insufficiency is significantly lower than in healthy subjects. Furthermore, the fatty acid pattern of this lipid fraction is significantly abnormal in both groups of patients, although to a lesser extent in patients without pancreatic insufficiency.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1980

Bronchiectasis in childhood. Comparison of chest roentgenograms, bronchography and lung scintigraphy.

In 76 children, 102 unilateral bronchograms were compared with the results of chest radiography and Tc-99m perfusion scintigraphy to assess the presence of bronchiectasis. Additional Kr-81m ventilation lung scintigraphy was obtained in 16 patients. For the chest radiograph the sensitivity was 73% and the specificity was 76%. For lung scintigraphy the sensitivity was 92% and the specificity 60%. When both chest radiography and lung scintigraphy were considered, sensitivity reached 96% and specificity fell to 53%. Forty per cent of the bronchrograms which were performed might have been avoided on the basis of the normal chest radiograph and lung scintigraphy. The combination of lung scintigraphy and chest radiography is an excellent screening method when a decision on the advisability of bronchography is being taken in children.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1980

Critical evaluation of lung scintigraphy in cystic fibrosis: study of 113 patients.

A long-term study has been performed on 285 lung perfusion scintigrams obtained from 113 patients with cystic fibrosis. Transverse and longitudinal comparisons with clinical and radiological scores, as well as retrospective analysis of the deceased patients, were the methods used in order to evaluate the importance of the scintigraphic images. It appears that lung scintigraphy is the best index of the regional lung impairment, and contributes, as does a chest radiograph, to the early detection of lung lesions, the two methods being complementary. The survival rate of CF patients reached 0.80 at 9 yr when initial scintigraphy was normal or only moderately impaired, but fell to 0.18 when severe lesions were seen on the first scintigrams.

Cystic Fibrosis↗